Behind the scenes of the new look KIA NBA Countdown

LOS ANGELES — The new-look KIA NBA Countdown show made its highly anticipated debut last Friday with a one-hour pregame show prior to ESPN’s season-opening NBA doubleheader.

From ESPN’s Los Angeles Production Center, Countdown enters this season with new names and faces both on camera and behind the scenes. Returning analysts Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Michael Wilbon are joined by Countdown rookies Bill Simmons (Grantland editor-in-chief) and Jalen Rose (ESPN NBA and men’s college basketball analyst) to form the new Countdown quartet.

Behind the scenes, Amina Hussein, coordinating producer, has taken the reins after handling Sunday NFL Countdown. ESPN Front Row and ESPN Images were granted special access to the Countdown production meeting as the crew prepared for its big debut. KIA NBA Countdown will air Wednesdays and Fridays on ESPN and Sundays on ABC, 30 minutes prior to game telecasts.

Catch KIA NBA Countdown tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET, just before the Philadelphia 76ers visit the New Orleans Hornets beginning at 8 p.m., followed by the San Antonio Spurs visiting the Los Angeles Clippers at 10:30 p.m. Injured Clippers guard Chauncey Billups joins the Countdown crew tonight prior to heading across the street for his team’s game.